At Water Company, Foremen's Racist Slurs Allegedly Endorsed

In January 2015, Henry Blue, whose suit was brought by plaintiff Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, began working as a foreman at Aqua Resources Inc., a water and waste-water services company, at its facility in Bear, Delaware.

By VerdictSearch|February 08, 2018 at 01:31 PM

X

Share with Email

sending now...

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Aqua American

$150,000 Settlement

Date of Verdict: Jan. 23.

Court and Case No.: U.S. District Court, E.D. of Pa., No. 2:17-cv-04346-JS.

In January 2015, Henry Blue, whose suit was brought by plaintiff Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, began working as a foreman at Aqua Resources Inc., a water and waste-water services company, at its facility in Bear, Delaware.

According to the EEOC, Blue, who is African-American, repeatedly had racial slurs directed at him by a white superintendent and other white foremen. Blue complained to company management about the slurs to which he and other African-American employees were subjected, including epithets such as “n—-r,” “monkey” and “boy.” Aqua Resources not only failed to stop the harassment, but in fact promoted one of the wrongdoers and assigned Blue to work under his supervision on a project. In May 2016, Aqua Resources fired Blue, allegedly in retaliation for complaining about the racially hostile work environment.

The EEOC sued Aqua America Inc., doing business as Aqua Resources Inc., alleging that it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Aqua Resources denied the allegations.

The EEOC, on behalf of Blue and those similarly situated, sought to recover back pay and unspecified amounts in compensatory and punitive damages. The EEOC further sought to have Aqua Resources institute anti-discrimination policies and provide training on employee rights under Title VII.

The parties settled for $150,000, prior to trial. Under a two-year consent decree, Aqua Resources is prohibited from engaging in discrimination based on race or unlawful retaliation in the future. The company will provide training on federal anti-discrimination laws, including preventing harassment. Aqua Resources will also implement and disseminate to all employees a revised anti-harassment policy, and will also post a notice regarding the settlement. The company will also provide Blue with a neutral reference letter.

This report is based on information that was provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Defense counsel did not respond to calls for comment.

Think Lean Daily Message

"Look at any legal market in any town and, as we all know, there will be an array of sellers with a wide range of rates and fee arrangements. Now look where the work goes, it certainly doesn t congregate around the cheapest."

Everyday the practice of law presents a new host of ethical quandaries, which we are left to ponder the answers to. Fortunately, there are a number of resources specifically designed to give lawyers answers to these questions.

In a recent decision out of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia, a court analyzed the effect of a setoff effectuated between two governmental units in the 90 days prior to the filing of a husband and wife’s bankruptcy case.

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

2 Oliver St #608

Boston,
MA02109

857-444-6468

www.marksalomone.com

Gary Martin Hays & Associates
P.C.

235 Peachtree St NE #400

Atlanta,
GA30303

800-898-4297

www.garymartinhays.com

Smith & Hassler

225 N Loop W #525

Houston,
TX77008

(877) 777-1529

www.smithandhassler.com

Presented by BigVoodoo

More from ALM

Premium Subscription

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.

Team Accounts

Our Team Account subscription service are for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.

Bundle Subscriptions

Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both option are priced the same.

From Data to Decisions

Exclusive Depth and Reach.

Legal Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALM’s deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that can’t be found anywhere else.

Big Pictures and Fine Details

Legal Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms’ financials, staffing, clients, news and events.

BRAFF, HARRIS & SUKONECK

ALM Legal Publication Newsletters

Sign Up Today and Never Miss Another Story.

As part of your digital membership, you can sign up for an unlimited number of a wide range of complimentary newsletters.
Visit your My Account page to make your selections. Get the timely legal news and critical analysis you cannot afford to miss.
Tailored just for you. In your inbox. Every day.